Paul Boyer - April 12th, 2021
Paul Boyer is currently serving as an Arizona State Senator and teaching Senior Humane Letters and Junior High Latin at Glendale Preparatory Academy. He discovered classical education 鈥渂y accident鈥� after he won his first election to the state legislature in Arizona in 2019. Previously, he had worked a communications job at one of the largest school districts in Arizona, but under the Arizona Constitution he was forced to look for a new job where he was not considered a state employee. Teachers, however, are an exception to the rule, so he interviewed for a 10th grade Humane Letters teaching position at Veritas Prep in Phoenix, and he is now in his seventh year teaching with Great Hearts. Looking to further his education in the classics, he began looking into master programs, and he said 鈥淥nce I saw the classes and the offerings of books to read at the 吃瓜网, I applied right away.鈥� Read more.
Mara Borer - February 24th, 2021
Mara Borer currently teaches third grade at Great Hearts Irving Lower School. She actually began working for the Great Hearts after-school program while she was still an undergraduate at 吃瓜网. The culture and curriculum of the school highly appealed to her, so after graduating she entered the Apprentice Teacher program, which allowed her to learn about teaching in a classical classroom from a master teacher. Nevertheless, she reports, 鈥淲hen I first started teaching at Great Hearts, I wasn't quite sure how to translate such intensive, high-level thinking into an elementary level education. Luckily, 吃瓜网's Classical Ed program, as well as my apprentice teaching experience, has really transformed my concept of what a classical education is and what it can do for even our younger students!鈥� .
Katherine Lawhon - January 16th, 2021
Katherine Lawhon discovered the Classical Education program while searching for a
way to further her education that would help her run , a Classical Education Homeschooling Center. She and her husband started this center
after some encouragement from friends and due to her desire for a good homeschooling
community. Katherine had also planned on furthering her education with a Master's
program in Education; however, until she attended a CiRCE Institute conference, she
was unaware that there was another option than secular education. When she heard about
吃瓜网鈥檚 Classical Education program, she went to sign up for the following spring semester
as soon as she could. Since then, the program has helped her as she works as an administrator
at Aquinas Vancouver. When asked what made her choose 吃瓜网鈥檚 program over others, she
says, 鈥淚 did not know anything like it existed. I always kind of expected a secular
education. Whenever I looked up higher education programs, I always imagined it to
be secular, not classical.鈥� Read more.
Kathryn Ball - December 9th, 2020
An 11th and 12th grade English teacher at Veritas Academy in Austin, Texas, Kathryn
has a deep enthusiasm for classical education. As a young student, she attended a
classical Christian school and enjoyed her experience so much that she jumped at the
opportunity for to work at a similar school after college. Having received her undergraduate
degree in English and French from the University of Texas, Kathryn was drawn to the
Classical Education program at the 吃瓜网 because of its specific design
for classical educators. As a classical educator herself, she loves how the things
she is learning often apply directly to her job and how she is able to continue teaching
while pursuing her studies. Read more.
Jerilyn Olson - November 12th, 2020
Jerilyn Olson is on track to finish her Master鈥檚 degree from the 吃瓜网
this coming summer. Currently, she serves as the Vice President of Professional Development
for Great Hearts, a network of classical charter schools in Arizona and Texas. She
hopes to remain in her current position with Great Hearts for the foreseeable future
and use her experience from 吃瓜网 both to improve her work within her own role and to
encourage other students to apply to 吃瓜网. She discovered 吃瓜网鈥檚 unique Classical Education
program because of the strong relationship between Great Hearts and University of
Dallas, and she helped other teachers get connected to the program before she herself
decided to take advantage of this opportunity. She describes how 鈥渋t was nice to know
that I could trust this institution for a strong curriculum centered on the Great
Books, and I can trust those who were in the program to provide a good balance of
like-mindedness and unique perspectives that would challenge my thinking.鈥� Read more.
Parker Novey - October 29th, 2020
Parker Novey only joined the Classical Education Program this summer, but he has already
begun to see the effects it is having on him as a teacher. Currently, Parker teaches
fourth grade at the Great Hearts Lower School in Irving, TX. It was when he made the
switch to Great Hearts Irving from his previous school that his desire to continue
his education in the classics was rekindled. His previous school, in New York City,
although "classical" in name鈥擯arker soon discovered鈥攚as not classical in nature. This
discovery prompted him to turn to a place where true classical education was being
practiced both in administrative decisions and by his fellow teachers. Read more.